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February 08, 2012

Gov. Peter Shumlin today appointed a former chairwoman of the Vermont Democratic Party to fill the Burlington House seat vacated last month by Democrat Rachel Weston.

Jill Krowinski, a 2002 UVM grad, currently serves as the Vermont director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

Krowinski, fills the Ward 3 seat, is no stranger to the Statehouse – she used to work as an assistant to former House Speaker Gaye Symington.

Shumlin had this to say of Krowinski, by way of press release:

“Jill has worked hard to get young people involved in the political process and registered to vote. She also knows how the House and Senate operate from her time working as assistant to former House Speaker Gaye Symington, so she’ll hit the ground running.”

In the same release, Krowinski thanked the governor for the honor:

“I want to thank Gov. Shumlin for giving me this incredible opportunity to represent Burlington in the House of Representatives. I’m ready to get to work with a great group of legislators from Burlington and excited to work for a great community.”

Also from the release:

"Among (Krowinski’s) priority issues are health care reform, education, and empowering young people to get involved in their communities. Krowinski graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Urban Studies and Political Science in 2002. In addition to her work for Symington, she has served as Executive Director of the Vermont Democratic Party and founded a non-profit dedicated to registering young people to vote. She is currently the Vermont Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Krowinski serves on the Board of Directors of the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, Begin Blue, Vermont Access to Reproductive Freedom, and is a Commissioner for the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington."

February 07, 2012

Last month, we told everyone to keep their eyes peeled for an intriguing venture at one of Montpelier’s marquis lobbying firms.

This week, KSE Partners officially unveiled its latest division, and it should add a fascinating new dynamic to Vermont’s electoral-politics landscape.

“KSE Campaigns” is being described as a “top to bottom campaign arm” that will develop, design and implement specialized political strategies for state and federal candidates and political action committees.”

The new division, according to Kevin Ellis – the “E” in KSE – transforms the 25-year-old operation into a “full-service political communications firm.”

“'We have political operatives with decades of campaign experience, communications specialists with new media expertise and fund raising professionals on staff,” Ellis said in a written statement. “We have exclusive relationships with pollsters and grassroots organizers. Or plan is to take our expertise and past success for clients and apply it to this emerging new political arena.”

KSE will shop its services to state and federal candidates for office, as well as PACs, SuperPACs and organizations engaged in more issue-oriented campaigns.

KSE executives see particularly high growth potential in the proliferation of SuperPACs, to which corporations and wealthy individuals this election cycle will invest heavily to influence the outcome of political campaigns.

“We saw that there was a need for a new breed of campaign consultant both in Vermont and nationally,” KSE staffer Nick Sherman said in a statement. “We spent the summer and fall developing strategies that will work in 21st century political campaigns. The Internet has changed the way messages are developed and delivered; the way money is raised and the way grassroots and get-out-the-vote campaigns are developed. For now, SuperPACs have altered the way messages are delivered. We will help candidates and clients use all these tools to be successful.”

KSE is already providing consulting services to a SuperPAC called “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Today.” “Vermont Priorities,” a soon-to-be-unveiled Montpelier-based advocacy organization, will also be among the early clientele.

The move isn’t without risk. Though KSE officials are promoting their services to all comers, their first two clients have a decidedly progressive bent. Advancing the partisan political interests of some clients, it stands to reason, might make it a less attractive business partner to others.

January 31, 2012

A meeting yesterday between Peter Shumlin and anti-Vermont Yankee advocates has been shrouded in secrecy, though nothing particularly controversial seems to have happened during the Fifth Floor confab.

This afternoon, we finally got a high-ranking administration official to confirm the meeting even occurred. In attendance, according to some informal chats today, were representatives of the state’s top environment/energy organizations.

No one has agreed to comment on the record, in accordance with the wishes of the governor.

The groups have invested an enormous amount of resources – both human and financial – into helping Shumlin shutter the Vernon nuclear reactor. So it seems obvious that he would tap their pulse as he deliberates whether to appeal the Murtha decision.

But the administration won’t give away anything on the record.

The official line from administration spokeswoman Sue Allen came in an email this morning:

“The Governor will not comment on the meeting or the issue of appealing Judge Murtha’s decision.”

Meeting-goers reportedly offered their opinions on the pros and cons of an appeal. Their perspectives are among the scores of opinions Shumlin will weigh as he considers his next move.

Politically, it’s a high-stakes decision for Shumlin. He’ll want to retain the good graces of the anti-Yankee crowd, which is largely responsible for getting him elected. They’re a motivated, well-organized group, and one he risks alienating by opting against an appeal.

On the other hand, he has to worry about sinking millions of dollars in additional legal expenses into an appeal that many believe is dead on arrival.

The secrecy over the meeting – and Shumlin’s uncharacteristic silence on the issue generally – can be attributed largely to the administration’s efforts to keep its playbook hidden from Entergy’s view.

The war against Vermont Yankee is far from over. But it isn’t clear yet where Shumlin will pitch the next battle.

January 26, 2012

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture announced that Tangletown Farm in Middlesex was the big winner in the auction of a mobile poultry processing unit that was owned by the state.

The online auction, which drew a bit of media attention, ended with Lila Bennett and David Robb paying $61,000 for the unit.

The processing unit was designed and built in 2008 with a $93,000 investment from the Vermont Legislature and the Castanea Foundation.

The mobile unit, which hit the road in 2009, is the first of its kind for farmers to process poultry under state inspection right on the farm, the agency said.

"Animal welfare is at the heart of Tangletown Farm,” Lila Bennett said in a news release. “ This unit will allow us to expand our business, to maintain our high standards of quality, and to play a larger role in Vermont agriculture. With this unit we will be able to humanely slaughter, part, and package chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, and eventually lambs under the watchful eye of a Vermont state inspector.”

January 25, 2012

MONTPELIER -- Vermont lawmakers received threatening e-mails on Wednesday, according to the Vermont State Police.

Was it the net metering bill the House voted on this week that prompted the threats? The Senate's plan to fast track the Vermont Strong license plate bill?

No, said police, who pointed out "this is a common scam used by persons in other countries to extort money from people believing that this is a legitimate threat."

Below is the state police press release with the threatening e-mail in all caps:

Waterbury, VT – 01/25/2012 – Today, Wednesday January 25, at approximately 7:30AM the Vermont State Police were notified by members of the Vermont Senate of a threatening email they had received. As the morning progressed numerous members of both the House and Senate reported receiving the same message. The Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations assigned a detective to investigate the scam and attempt to track these emails.

The Vermont State Police take seriously all threats made against citizens of Vermont, and will investigate the incident to the fullest extent of our ability. That being said, this is a common scam used by persons in other countries to extort money from people believing that this is a legitimate threat. These emails usually emanate from developing countries and we have seen this scam used numerous times in the past. Rest assured, this is a scam and not a legitimate threat; there is no danger. Below is the threatening email, in full.

ATTN.

LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY ,THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN CONTACT YOU, MY TEAMHAS BEEN PAID TO ASSASSINATE YOU, I HAVE EVERY REASON TO CARRY OUT THECONTRACT,BUT I DECIDED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE AND SAVE YOUR FAMILY THISPAIN,THIS YOUR ALTERNATIVE,I WISH TO HELP YOU UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT TOHELP YOUR SELF,I WILL SEND YOU ENOUGH EVIDENCE YOU NEED ON A VIDEOTAPE RECORD TO NAIL MY EMPLOYER DOWN WITH THE LAW.

BEFORE THAT YOUR REQUIRED TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE SUM OF $10,000. USDAFTER WHICH I WILL DIRECT YOU ON WHAT TO DO NEXT TO SAVE YOUR SELF ANDYOUR FAMILY FROM THIS PAIN THAT WOULD HAVE BEFALLED YOU FROM MYEMPLOYER,THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO SETTLE THE TEAM MEN INVOLVED TO GOBACK TO THERE DESTINATIONS AND YOU BETTER KEEP THIS INFORMATION TOYOUR SELF BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO IS WHO WHERE YOU ARE NOW,IF HEFINDS OUT I HAVE BETRAYED HIM TRYING TO HELP YOU,YOU WILL HAVE YOURSELF TO BLAME, I HAVE ORDERED MY MEN TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU.

DO WE HAVE A DEAL OR NOT ?

NOTE: YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS HERE, (1)YOU HAVE TO GET HIM ARRESTED WITHTHE INFORMATION I WILL GIVE YOU AFTER THE PAYMENT OR ( 2)YOU HAVE HIMKILLED TO SAVE YOUR SELF.

I WILL VISIT YOUR HOUSE AGAIN BUT NOT NOW,MY BOYS EYES ARE ON YOU SOGET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

The names of the members of the Vermont House and Senate that received these threats are being withheld for security purposes. For media questions, please contact the Vermont State Police Public Information Officer, Stephanie Dasaro, at 802-279-9773.

Shap Smith wants legislators to wrap up business before May this year, a timetable he aims to achieve by setting an urgent tone early on.

The Legislature has allotted funding sufficient to operate for 18 weeks in 2012, but the Speaker told House members this week he intends to use only 16 of them. That would have lawmakers out the door by April 30.

“I think it’s important to set an aggressive timetable so that people know what the expectations are,” Smith said Tuesday.

Beyond saving taxpayers a few dimes, the move would also have some political benefits – candidates for state and local office are prohibited from soliciting money from lobbyists until after the gavel falls on the 2012 session.

Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding has said the governor is equally intent on sending legislators home early. His budget address on Jan. 12 was the earliest in a decade. Shumlin expedited the spending proposal in part, Spaulding said, to give lawmakers the head start they need to wrap up before May.